2,000 Brains in One Museum

Think about your brain. What is your brain doing? What is it doing now, as you’re using your brain to wonder how your brain works? We recently celebrated the brain itself at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science’s 5th Annual Miami Brain Fair, sponsored by the University of Miami. Throughout the Museum, everyone learned about the amazing things their brains can do can do, and incredible discoveries in the field of neurooscience. In all 1,828 brains were in attendance, 346 brains were here to volunteer, and 30 brains were here to lead activities and exhibit fascinating brainy information.

Here’s just a few of the things that happened:

A trip down memory lane (in other words, a trip down neuron pathways)!

Building a neuron from clay (how do neurons transmit messages in your brain?)

Handling a sheep’s brain (what can we learn from that?)

What about…

Exploring optical illusions (how do they work?)
Counting the taste buds on your tongue (how does your brain “taste” food?)
Observing brain specimens (what does a brain injury look like?)
Testing how neurons work via electrical impulse (how does that turn into a thought?)
Measuring your head to be fitted for a bike helmet (don’t you want to stay safe?)
Competing in the Miami Brain Bee (how much do you know about the brain?)

Dr. Coleen Atkins of The Miami Project at the University of Miami and Lead Organizer of the Brain Fair, was very proud of how successful the event was this year. We even had a very special guest in Miami Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who spoke to visitors about the importance of the Brain Fair, Brain Awareness Week, and the vital role that Miami scientists have in the future of neuroscience. The Congresswoman’s big discovery of the day: “Wow, my hands are really big!” She was actually just looking at her “homunculus,” which is a map that represents how the motion of her hands map onto brain function. With all the motor skills and potential for motion in your hands, chances are your homunculus map might look about the same!